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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. R. KENNEDY.

DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINE. No. 350,003. Patented Sept. 28. 1886.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. KENNEDY.

DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINE.

N0. 350,003. V Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

(No Model.) v 3 SheetsSheet 3.

.R. KENNEDY.

DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

In F e 7 L 1) r.- ZZZ 2 1 erre UNITED STATES PATENT @ZFFMT.

tANKlN KENNEDY, OF PAISLEY, COUNTY OF RENFREV, ASSIGNOR- TO DAVID GRAHAM, OF GLASGOW SCOTLAND.

DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACl-HNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,003, dated September 28, 1886.

Application filed April 3, 1882. Serial No. 57,146.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, RAXKTN KENNEDY, of Paisley, in. the county of ltenlrew, Scotland, have invented Improvements in Dynamo-Electric Machines, (for which I have received Letters Patent in England, No. 4,541, dated Oc tober 18, 1.881,) of which the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to improvements in the collection and distribution of electromagnetic currents or pulsations of electricity, and in the apparatus to be employed therein, and has for its main object to so collect and distribute the said currents that a number of separate currents or pulsations may be collected and sent along one main line and afterward distributed in any order or combination to give variable and readi1yalterable powers and strengths of currents or pulsations.

In apparatus for carrying the said invention into effect a field-magnet is employed of two semicircular picees,within which revolves a shalt carrying an exciting-armature and a number of separate working or collecting armatures, each of which is of a wheel form, the armature proper being made of soft-iron wire wound tightly together and around this wheel to form a hard solid ring or periphery to the wheel. A number of projecting soft iron pieces are secured at equal distances apart upon this periphery and fixed thereto by passing screws through their projecting sides into the projecting sides of corresponding under pieces, which screws may be passed down into the spokes ot' the wheel. where the said spokes occur. Between these projecting pieces the armature-wires are wound in helices, the wires between each two adjacent spaces being connected together, and a wire led from each connection. to the commutator, which consists of a noirconducting barrel or disk fixed on the shaft which carries the armatures. The said barrel carries a series of rings of curved metal plates separated from each other. The said series carry plates equal in number to the total number of divisions on the armatures em ployed, together with a ring for the excitingarmaturc to give a separate current for this armature. The number oli'metal plates in each. ring is equal to the number of projections on. ach armature, and each of the wires before (No model.)

Patented in England October 1c, lSQl, No. 1,51l.

mentioned is led from thejunction of the wires on either side of every two adjacent projections of the armaturesoneto each plate of the corresponding ring ol the commutator, each ring receiving the wires from one armature. Collecting plates or springs bear upon the op positc sides of each ring of plates and convey a separate current from each. ring by wires, whichare hereinafter connected and continued in one main line or cable. From the cable connecting-wires maybe led from anysuitable part thereof to the place or places where any one or more of the separate currents collected by the separate armatures and separate rings of the commutator may be required for use. The number of such currents which pass from the mainline or cable will vary according as one or more return-wires are used to conduct the currents back to the springs or plates at the return side of the connnutator. For example, suppose that four armatures and four corre sponding rings of the commutator are collecting four currents, which are led into one main line or cable. If four connecting-wires be led oil from this main line or cable to any desired places, return-wires from which are connected to each of the four springs on the return side of the coi'nmutator, four currents are obtained from one machine at four different places. 3y connecting the return-wire from any one place to more than one spring on the return side of the commutator, two or more currents may be caused to pass from the main cable to the said place. In the series of arinatnres the projecting pieces of each armature are arranged so that the corresponding projections of the series are in lines parallel with the carrying-shaft, or such pieces of metal in each armature may be placed radially in advance of the pieces of metal of the armature next it.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is an elevation at right angles to Fig. 1, with the field-magnet in section, of a machine constructed or arranged lor generating electric currents accord ing to my invention.

The field-magnet is or may be of the ordinary hind, consisting of the cast-iron body a, of the shape shown clearly in Fig. 1, the horizontal members being wound with coils a of insulated wire. In the semicircular parts of the body a the armatures revolve, they being carried upon a shaft, I), mounted in bearings b the said shaft also carryingthe rings of commutator-plates c and the pulley b for driving the said shaft by any suitable motor. The armatures are in number in accordance with the number of separate currents to be obtained from the machine plus an armature for furnishing the exciting-current for the coils a of the field-magnet.

Each armature is constructed as follows, reference being had to Figs. 3 and 4, which are respectively side views at right angles to each other of one of the said armatures without its coils of copper wires, in which the current is induced by the field-magnet. The wheel (I has a number of spokes, d preferably of brass, having at their outer ends cross-heads or transverse pieces d, which project at either side of the said spokes, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, which is a transverse section of the said wheel separately. Upon these pieces d is tightly wound soft-iron wire 6, to constitute the core of the armature. A number of soft-iron pieces, f, are secured at equaldistances apart upon this core, so that they are in pairs diametrically opposite each other to constitute poles as the armature revolves. The said iron pieces f are secured to the wire rings e by screws 9, pass ing through the ends of the said pieces f, (which project beyond the said ring,) and screwed into the ends of corresponding under pieces, which likewise project from the under side of the said ring. These under pieces are for the said pieces j which occur between the spokes of the wheel,the projections 61 from the spokes of the wheels, with the alternate pieces fand'the binding-screws 9, serving to secure the wire core 6 in its'placethat is to say, where no spokes occur the under pieces con sist of bars d", corresponding to the pieces f, the screws 9 passing through the sides of the pieces f and into the ends of the under pieces, d, so that the said pieces are by thesaid screws tightly pinched upon the core 6. Upon the wire core 0, and between these iron pieces, the insulated copper wires in which the current is induced are wound in helices, all in the same direction, as shown in the diagram of an armature in Fig. 6, where the said wires are marked h, the wires between every two projections being connected to a wire, h led to the commutator-plate. The said wires h will of course be wound compactly upon the said ring after the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2, they being shown in Fig. 6 as having but a few coils merely for the sake of clearness of delineation of the direction of coiling and connection with the plates of the commutators.

The commutators consist each of a separate series'of plates insulated from each other, all the said series being carried by the shaft 1). The said series of plates constituting commutators are equal in number to the number of armatures empl0yed-that is to say, there is such a series of plates (marked 0 in the drawings) for each of the collecting-armatures for the working-currents, and an additional-series constituting a commutator for the armature which gives the excitingcurrent for the fieldmagnet a. The series of plates 0, constituting each commutator, are aflixed upon a barrel, c of wood or other insulating material, and each plate 0 of each series is insulated from those on either side of it. The wires h from each armature are led to the plates 0 of a commutator-one wire to each plate 0. Collecting plates, springs, or brushes,which may be of the ordinary kind and which I have,for the sake ofmore clearly showing the other parts,omitted from the drawings, are arranged to bear upon such commutator, two such plates, springs, or brushesone for the positive and the other for the negative currents being employed to receive and return the currents of each commutator. A wire is attached to each of the positive plates, springs, or

brushes, the said wires being furnished with couplings, switches, or the like, so that they may be connected with the wires of the other or some of the other commutators or led into one main cable, as hereinafter described. The negative plates, springs, or brushes also have wires attached to them, the said wires being also furnished with couplings or switches or the like for attachment to the wires of the other or some of the other conimutators or to the return-wires from the working-circuits. By these couplings, switches, or analogous contrivances the currents generated by the machine may be led away from the machine separately or combined in any desired manner, according as to whether quantity or tension of en rrent is required.

Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the order of connection where the several currents generated by the separate armatures are led separatel y from the respective com mutators of such armatures through one main cable, from which the currents are led by branch wires to the places where they are to be employed for electric lighting or other purposes.

The commutators'of the generatingmachine are indicated at 0, their positive and negative collectingsprings or the like, marked, respectively, plus and minus signs. From the positive plate, spring, or brush of each commutator a wire, v3, is led to one main cable, I, which is laid along the district where the currents are to be employed. From this main cable separate branch wires j are ledto the particular places where the currents are to be used for lighting or other purpose, and these branch wires are led back to the negative springs of their respective commutators and joined thereto by the coupling-wires k of the said springs. It will be readily seen that where-additional quantity of current is desired at any partieular place, this may readily be obtained by connecting the return-wire it from this place to the coupling-wires of two or more of the commutators 0, so that two or more currents will be caused to pass from the main cable -I to the said place, and thence back to the two or more commutators 0, whereby the currents can be readily manipulated at the station where the machine is situated to supply any quantity of current to any place or places supplied from the main cable, or to cut off the supply from any such place or places.

Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the connections for supplying a current of increased tension to any particular place. As here shown, the wires are arranged to give from four commutators (marked 0 c" 0) two currentsone cu rrent of ordinary tension from one of the commutators, c, and one current from the three commutatons, c c c"which will be three times thetension of the single or ordinary currents which would be obtained from each single commutator. The negative wire of the commutator c" is led to the positive wire of the next commutator, c, and the negative wire of this second commutator, c, is led to the positive wire of the third commutator, 0". The positive wire of theeonnnutator 0' takes the current of increased tension to theplace Z. where it is to be employed, from which place it returns to the negative wire of the commutator It will thus be seen that the two systems oil'connecting the wires, either for quantity of current, as explained with re gard to the diagram Fig. 7, or for tension of current, as explained with regard to the diagram Fig. 8, that these two systems may be used with one machine to manipulate and regulate the currents supplied from the said machine for either quantity or tension ac cording to these systems.

In the drawings I have shown but four working-armatures and their corr sponding commutators; but this number is only shown for convenience of description and illustration. In practice the number of the said armatnrcs and commutators may be such as will give the requisite number of separate currents to be supplied separately'or combined for quantity and tension, the number of such currents being in accordance with the number 01' such places and the extent of variation required. To illustrate this more clear- ]y,I have indicated in the diagram, Fig. 9, twelve commutators, the wires of which are connected, so that from the commutator c a current oi single tension is supplied to the place m. From the commutators c c 0 a current of treble tension is led to the place 01.

From the commutators c and c" a current of double tension is led to the place 0. From each of the eommutators 0 0 0 a current of single tension is led to the places pqr, respecti vely, and from the connnutators c 0 0 a current of treble quantity is led to the place 8. It will be understood that these connections may be altered to give a current of any desired quantity or tension of which the generatingmachine is capable of at any desired place.

Although not shown in the diagrams it will be understood that, as before stated, there is an additional armature and commutator for giving the exciting-current to the coils of the field-magnet.

The means for connecting the positive and negative wires, so that they maybe readily disconnected and reconnected in any desired combination, may be of any ordinary description which will admit of ready connection and disconnection of the wires.

I clairn- 1. The ringarmature frame wound peripherally with a soft-iron wire which constitutes the core, and having soft-iron projections or cross-bars placed upon the external face 01' said core, and provided with ends which project laterally beyond the side edges thereof and are united by screws or equivalent fastening devices with the ends of corresponding laterally-p rejecting under pieces, as described, combined with insulated wires wound upon the soft-iron-wirc core in the intervals between said projections continuously in one direction, as hereinbelbre shown and described.

2. The combination, with machines couslructed, as described, for generating and collecting a number of independent electric currents, of connections arranged in conjunction with the positive and negative springs, plates, or brushes of the coininuiators of such 111a chines in the manner specified, to enable the said currents to be readily combined and altered, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

R A NKIN KENNEDY.

Wi tnesscs:

DAVID DRYSDALE Ausrin,

tonnn'r ADAM GUNN, Boll: (2/115 SI. Vincent Slreel, (liasg ou IFO 

